WWOOF trip in Kokořínsko

22.5.2015

AREA viva is the coordinating organization for WWOOF in Czech Republic (for more informations about WWOOF : http://www.wwoof.net/ and for WWOOF in Czech Republic : http://www.wwoof.cz/). So, as a volunteer, I have also to work on WWOOF and in the middle of April, I spend one week in the Kokořínsko region (50 kilometers north of Prague) for visiting the WWOOF farms in the area. I had also another goal : walk from one farm to another in order to create a tool for WWOOFers who would like to spend time in this region and walked between these farms as I did.

My first stop was in the farm of Ekozahrada Pod Věží in the village of Křivenice, not far from the city of Mělnik and along the Elbe river. After getting off the train in Horní Počaply, I walked 3 kilometers until the farm. On the way I met Hanka who apparently expected someone more “exoctic”. After eating, she made me the visit of the farm, where there are goats, hens, ducks, geese, rabbits and bees. And of course there is a big garden, which is an important contrast with the huge Mělnik powerplant in background. In this garden there many different kinds of vegetables as well as fruits like strawberries and normally soon blackcurrant and grapes. Indeed, during my stay in Ekozahrada Pod Věží I, among others, helped with uprooting of blackcurrant (don’t worry, it was replanted in the garden) and weeding one part of the garden which should host vines. I also helped with the feeding of the animals and the “cleaning” of the strawberries. During my stay there, I also spent time to play football with Luboš, Hanka’s husband, and 5 of their 6 children. There have been many disputes but for an outside observer it was pretty funny. Beside all of this, I could even sleep a complete morning (and I needed it)!

After 2 days and half in Ekozahrada Pod Věží, I had to walk until the next farm, 4 SRDCE. In the morning, Hanka drove me until Dolní Beřkovice where there is a pedestrian bridge on the Elbe river. After crossing the river and joining the village of Vehlovice, the way was pretty easy to find because I just had to follow the green hiking marks. After 20 kilometers walk (and the 3 last kilometers made by hitchhiking) by following these marks through nice villages and beautiful landscapes, especially the sandstone formations, I finally arrived in 4 SRDCE in the small village of Osinalice.

When I arrived there, it was the end of one workshop dedicated to the creation of wooden objects. Because 4 SRDCE is not just a farm but it’s also a place which hosted many workshops, for example about crafting with wood or wicker or about photography, and other events (you can have more details here : http://www.donitra.cz/). One building, a former barn is completely renovated and is dedicated to these events with one big room, bathrooms, kitchen and of course bedrooms and dormitories. On this place live Vladimir and Renata and their two children Kilian and Ethel. They have 3 sheeps and one dog, one Border Collie full of energy name Akhbar. There is also one garden. During my stay there I had mostly to work around the compost place: I first moved one part of this compost in the garden and then rebuilt the fence around. For this I had to cut wicker on one tree. “Dangerous” work because I was in the tree above a pond, with apparently more mud than water. I was also walking with the dog, who needed to spend a part of the energy, and it was a good way to walk around and discover the surrounding.

Like in Ekozahrada Pod Věží, I stayed there 2 days and then I walked again until the next and last farm named Slepičí Gang. This time it was a little bit shorter, only 15 kilometers, but still beautiful way (nice sandstones again) and more wild.

After this nice walk, I arrived in the village of Nosálov, where are beautiful traditional houses of the region. Jana, her companion and their two children live in one of these houses with a one-hectare property in the back. Once again the first thing was the visit of the farm, a farm full of animals! Indeed there are dogs (Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, the closest dog breed from the wolves), cows, donkeys, horses, pigs, goats, sheeps, bees, geese, ducks and of course hens (slepice in Czech so Slepičí Gang means…). I stayed less time on this farm than on the other, just one day and half, so I worked less but nevertheless I had time to do some things, especially feeding the animals and gardening. Or more precisely turning the soil.

And then the day after, it was already time to leave after one week in this region, which was a too short period to really enjoy the stay in the farms. But I hope I will go back soon!